Choices Of The Heart
by Lollipop456
Summary: A revamp of "For Better Or For Worse." When Eddie is stricken with a terrible disease, and lays on death's doorstep. Everyone must deal their own demons. Will Eddie survive? Did Paige make him sick?
1. Chapter 1

Prince Edvard of Denmark, often called Eddie, woke up early in the morning. His young wife, Paige, was still sound asleep on the left side of the bed. Eddie smiled and kissed Paige's cheek, and then edged his way out of bed, in effort not to wake Paige up. As Eddie slipped on his shirt, he could feel his hand go numb. After a few tense seconds, he was finally able to put his shirt on. As he was fastening the last few buttons of his shirt, Paige came from behind him and finished off the buttons.

"Morning." said Paige.

"I didn't mean to wake you." said Eddie.

"Our first press conference together, as husband and wife. The future Royals of Denmark." sighed Eddie.

"Are you nervous?" asked Paige.

"It's all right. I was only resting my eyes. I couldn't sleep a wink."

"No. Not when I'm with you."

Paige smiled and kissed Eddie's cheek. She went to the bathroom to change into her clothes. Eddie could suddenly feel the numbness in his hand turn to pain. Then, his other hand began to experience the same pain. Carefully, he tried to massage them, in hopes that it would help the pain. Paige came back into the room and could see Eddie massaging his hands.

"What's wrong?" Asked Paige.

"N-Nothing. My hands hurt. I'm sure it's the weather. It's quite cold today."

"Eddie, I'm a med-grad. Just let me check on you-"

"It's fine, darling. I promise."

Eddie gave Paige a kiss and left the room, with Paige close behind. They soon met up with King Haraald and Queen Roslaind, Eddie's parents and the current King and Queen of Denmark. Eddie gave them each a kiss on the cheek as a greeting.

"Are you two ready for this?" Asked Rosalind.

Eddie smiled and Paige took his hand. They both nodded as a response. Haraald could see that Eddie was beginning to turn pale.

"Edvard, are you all right?" Asked Haraald.

"I'm fine, Father. I'm only tired." said Eddie.

"Your whole body has gone pale." said Haraald, pressing his hand to Eddie's forehead. "You're burning up."

"So, I'm a bit under-the-weather. It's nothing to be worried about." said Eddie, shrugging his shoulders.

Eddie offered his arm and Paige took it, and they stepped onto the balcony.

"He's sick." said Haraald.

"It's nothing to worry about, Haraald. It's only a cold, I promise." said Rosalind.

Rosalind stepped onto the balcony, followed by a rather nervous Haraald. In truth, Rosalind and Haraald were only standing on the balcony in case that Eddie and Paige needed with questions. Or, the press wanted to ask them a few questions. As the press conference began, Eddie found that his eyes were sensitive to the flashing lights of the cameras. They were giving him a rather severe headache. Still, he had no choice, he had to get through this press conference. Or risk being the center of the papers, like he was in his rebellious stage. That wouldn't please the people of Denmark, or Rosalind.

"My wife and I, thank you all for attending this press conference. We are willing to answer all the questions, even those that question are abilities as the future King and Queen of Denmark. Who would like the first question?"

Suddenly, more cameras started flashing and Eddie could feel his head beginning to ache again. Paige, now knowing Eddie wasn't feeling well, pointed to a reporter.

"We heard about your recent expedition to Africa to help with some of the children. Was this act of charity or a way to prove your abilities to handle a nation's crisis?" asked the reporter.

Paige began to feel a bit ill herself, as she didn't know how to answer. She turned to Eddie, but he still looked sickly. So, she took a deep breath and chose to answer the question in the only way she could.

"Me and my husband had heard from news broadcasts that more and more children in Africa we're either starving or homeless. Both of us, sharing a love of children, decided to help. It was an of charity. If we did make it look like we were only proving ourselves, then it was done subconciously." stated Paige.

Everyone was shocked that Paige was able to answer the question in a thorough manner. Rosalind had her jaw agape. Trying not to show her shock. Haraald was not even focused on everyone's shock, but focused on Eddie's decrease in health. Paige pointed to another reporter.

"Prince Edvard, can you tell us if you feel that your time spent at a unversity and your bout with the tabloids, will effect your ruling as the future King of Denmark?" asked the reporter.

Eddie was beginning to feel dizzy, as though he could faint. He felt a sensation in his chest, as if he were losing his breath. Then, before he could answer the question, he fainted. Like a bullet out of a gun, cameras started going off in all sorts of directions and reporters began chattering away.

"Get him inside. I'll deal with them." whispered Rosalind, addressing Paige and Haraald.

With Paige's help, Haraald was able to carry Eddie inside and to the nearest bed. Paige began to pat Eddie's cheeks, in an effort to wake him. Finally, after three minutes of being unconcious, Eddie woke up.

"Thank God." sighed Haraald.

"The press? Did they take pictures? What did they say?" asked Eddie, his voice weakened.

"Don't worry about them. Rosalind is taking care of it." whispered Paige, touching Eddie's forehead.

"I've never fainted."

"Now, don't worry, Edvard. Everything will be taken care of. For now, you must rest." said Haraald.

"Did I dissapoint you, Father?" asked Eddie.

Haraald smiled and kissed Eddie's forehead.

"Of course not." said Haraald.

Eddie gave a smile and then began to fall asleep. Paige pulled the covers over his body and followed Haraald out of the room. A few moments later, Paige and Haraald met with Rosalind in the library. The three sat in silence for awhile, not knowing what to say about Eddie's fainting spell earlier that morning. Finally, Paige decided to break the silence.

"He needs a doctor." said Paige.

"It's out of the question. A doctor would leak Edvard's condition to the press, and they'll make it look as though he is incomptent." argued Rosalind.

"Rosalind, he is our son. He hardly had a cold as a child, and now he faints? Something has to be wrong. He needs help." remarked Haraald.

"Then we can let Paige take care of him."

"Your Hisence, I haven't even seen my first patient yet. There's no way that I can help Eddie."

Before Rosalind could speak, she was interrupted when Soren, protector of the Royal family and Eddie's personal advisor, entered the room. Just by his face, they could tell something was wrong.

"Your Majestys, you need to come with me. It's Edvard." said Soren, trying to catch his breath.

Everyone raced to Edvard, and found him slumped on the floor and coughing up blood. Clutching his stomach. Haraald and Paige reacted quickly, and knelt at Eddie's side. Paige wiped his face clean of the blood, and Haraald cradled him in his arms. Rosalind could now see that something was seriously wrong with her son. She grabbed Soren and took him aside.

"Find the best doctor in Denmark. Quickly." ordered Rosalind.


	2. Chapter 2

Soren was able to find the best doctor in all of Denmark, infact this doctor had overseen Haraald when he was laying on his deathbed. The doctor came into Eddie and Paige's room, and found Eddie laying in bed. It seemed that even though it only took the doctor a few moments to arrive, that Eddie's condition had worsened. His skin was pale, sweating, and ice cold, his hands and eyes and legs were covered with red sores, and he seemed to be a bit delirious. The Doctor instantly shooed Paige, Haraald, and Rosalind out of the room. The exam took almost two hours, before the Doctor finally stepped out of the room and into the hall where the family was waiting.

"Is it serious?" asked Paige.

"I don't know how, I don't know why, but it seems that Edvard is very sick. Right now, because he is disoriented, I prefer not to run too many tests. I was able to draw some blood, we should be able to know more by the end of this week." said the Doctor.

"The end of the week? He could be dying." said Haraald.

"I understand. I'll be sure that the results of his blood test are given within the next fourty-eight hours. Until then, watch over him, keep his fever down, and I'll be here tomorrow." said the Doctor.

The Doctor left the hallway. Haraald returned to Eddie, while Rosalind simply sat in the hallway, Paige could see something was wrong with Rosalind and sat next to her.

"Is everything all right, your Hisence?" asked Paige.

"Everything's fine. I simply don't see why everyone is making a fuss. Edvard is fine, he's never been sick in his entire life. Of course, he had the usual childhood ailments, but they would pass quickly. Now, I see him lying in bed..."

Rosalind cut herself off, as she began to cry. Paige sighed and wrapped her arm around her.

"It's all right. You're scared for Eddie. He's your son and you could lose him. We're all very afraid right now. You and the King could lose your son, Arabella could lose her brother, I could lose my husband. We've gotta pull together and get him through this." said Paige.

"You're right." said Rosalind, taking Paige's hand. "You're right."

Throughout the night, Paige and Haraald kept vigil at Eddie's bedside. As Haraald slept in a chair in next to Eddie's bed, he was awaken by a terrifying scream. Seeing that the scream hadn't woken Eddie, Haraald made his way down the hall and to Arabella's room. The 12-year-old girl was sitting up in bed, with her legs huddled together, tears rolling down her face.

"Arabella, what happened?" asked Haraald, sitting on the bed.

"I had a nightmare, Daddy. Edvard had died. It was horrible." sobbed Arabella.

Haraald hugged Arabella and was able to lift her into his lap.

"Edvard will be fine, darling. Many people thought that I would die, but I fooled them all. Edvard can do the same. I know he can." said Haraald.

"What if he can't?" asked Arabella.

Not knowing what to say, without telling a lie, Haraald simply hugged Arabella and kissed her blonde hair. The next morning, one of the servants came into Arabella's room to wake her, only to find her and Haraald sound asleep, their heads leaning against one anothers. The servant smiled and coverd them with a blanket, leaving the father and daughter alone to sleep. Haraald woke up a few minutes later, and went to Eddie's room. Haraald put his hand on Eddie's forehead, and realized that he was a bit warmer. Obviously, the fever had gone up.

"Eddie, you need to listen. I'm speaking as your Father, not as your King. You have so much to live for, and you have all of Denmark on your side. They want you to become king. They _need _you to be their king."


	3. Chapter 3

The doctor came by again and had sent everyone to the hall while he examined Eddie. So, everyone was forced to wait again. It had been two hours, and the doctor still wasn't finished examining Eddie. Suddenly, the doctor stepped out of the room, but he had gone completely pale.

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Haraald.

"Your Majesty, may I speak to you in private?" asked The Doctor.

"Of course. Paige, Rosalind, will you go and sit with him?"

Paige and Rosalind nodded in unison and entered Eddie's room. Haraald sent Arabella to her room and he and the Doctor stepped into the throne room, where they would be granted privacy.

"I examined him at least three times. From head to toe. I have come to the conclusion that the prince has been poisoned. In fact, he is still being poisoned."

"Poisoned? How? Was it in his food?"

"No. It's not food poisoning."

"Well, then it must be a bite? A bite from a poisonous insect, maybe."

"No. There is no sign of an insect bite."

"Then the only other possibility is..."

Haraald stopped and looked at the Doctor, with a knowing look. The Doctor nodded sadly.

"Injections? Someone has injected poison into Eddie?"

"I've discovered several scars on his neck. Some which are two weeks old. Two are even from a month ago."

"Who could be doing this?"

"I believe it's Paige."

"Paige? B-but she is his wife, she's been taking care of him. She loves him dearly."

"She also has a degree in medicine, it would be easy for her to get her hands on drugs that contain high levels of toxin."

"I won't hear anymore of this. Please excuse me."

Haraald left the doctor alone in the throne room and headed straight for Eddie's room. It was only when he saw Paige, that Haraald began to feel uneasy.

"Father?" whispered Eddie.

Haraald took Eddie's hand and held it. Eddie carefully opened his eyes and pulled Haraald close so he could whisper in his ear.

"Someone has been hurting me."

Haraald pulled away carefully and gave a brief, but nervous glance, towards Paige. He then focused on Eddie again.

"Believe me, Eddie. No one is hurting you. No one is ever going to hurt you. Not while I'm here."


End file.
